Vertical farming company Fischer Farms’ first wheat-growing trial has been successful.
The agritech business claims it is the first vertical farm in the UK to cultivate the crop in a biosecure, controlled environment.
The trial revealed that Fischer Farms would be able to deliver five crop cycles per year, each the equivalent of 273 acres of conventionally grown wheat but from a 10-acre vertical farm.
“The results from our first wheat trial are extremely encouraging, with very promising yield capabilities,” said Tristan Fischer, founder and CEO of Fischer Farms. “Further development of the seed, growing environment and light technology will continue to provide significant improvement to this performance but investment will be key to this scalability.”
Along with investment, the vertical farm company said major R&D was vital to being able to deliver “high-protein crops” at scale and the returns were likely to be “considerable, leading to the next agricultural revolution”.
The company itself is expanding with a new four-acre Norfolk farm set to open in early 2023.
The successful trial comes after a challenging year for wheat exports following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“This advancement provides real promise for wider global food security,” said Fischer.
“Our infrastructure can be established in almost any country in the world, regardless of climate and soil quality, giving economically disadvantaged and water-scarce regions the opportunity to transform their food supply chains and revolutionise their economies by ultimately evolving from net food importers to becoming entirely self-sufficient.”
Fischer Farms aims to grow soyabeans, rice and wheat in significant volumes at price points that compare favourably to global commodity prices.
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